The Warner sun. (Warner, Brown Co., Dakota [S.D.]) 1885-1???, 1887-03-11


my was perfectly satisfied. He knew
that people do not forget things which
save their pockets,
1t happened that, some months after
The incident of the Mudford Chemical
Company, Messrs. Hodgson had i'm,
pOrtant business to transact in Turin.
and it was thought advisable that the
senior partner should proceed to that
city to look after it. There was some
idea, if the prospect seemed favorable,
! of starting a branch house there. The
question then arose, which of the clerks
should accompany the head of the firm
as his secretary; and Mr.. Hodgson,
mindful of the service which Mathers
had rendered him, consulted the head
cashier on the propriety of the selec,
ton. Parkinson, it happened, had a
favOritc Of his own, and Tommy would
have lost his opportunity if he had not
remembered that at n time, when he
was bent on acquiring foreign tongues,
he had spent his evenings for a few
months over an Italian grammar. He
contriVed to let this fact be known, and
in due time Mr.. Parr informed his sen.
ior partner hat ut seemed that young
Nathers knew something of the Ian,
guage.'
This decided the point. Tommy re.
ceived his orders, and in three days
more found himself on board the Dover
& Calais packet, in charge of a large
dispatch-box and Mr.. Hodgson's bulky
~portmanteaus. The journey was by nc
means a comfortable one, for the young
man found thai he was expected to
travel second class and generally act
as courier to his employer. When al
last Turin was reached, things were no
better. Mathers found that his Italian
went but a very little way; and, besides,
he had to do the work of three clerks.
Sometimes he was tempted to regret
that he had left his comfortable rooms
in Torrington square, Bloomsbury; but
in his calmer moments he reelected that
at least he was occupying a different
position from that of the rest of his fell
low-clerks.
The chief man in Turin, so far as
Hodgson, Dunford and Parr were con-
oerned, was a certain Count Marsoui.
The counts nobility did not prevent
his being the principal member of a
large firm of merchants and shipown-
ers, To cultivate this man was, in
deed, the chief reason of Mr.. Hodgson's
journey to Turin; and as the old bank
er knew very we'll how to lay aside his
crusty and pompous manner when it
suited his book to do so, he soon came
to be a not %unfrequent guest at the Viii
la Morsoni.
Mr.. Hodgson began to see that there
was a very fair opening for an English
bank at Turin, and he was still engaged
in pushing his way here and there,
when he received news that his wife
was seriously ill. THIS made him hur-
ry off to England, leaving Mathers be-
hind him to complete a transaction
which he had already practically al.
ranged.
Delighted at being left to represent
the firm, for ever so short a time, and
eyer SO formal a matter, Mathers was
pacing one day down the principal
street of the city with a look of consid-
cradle Importance on his face when he
met Count Marsonl. The Count stop
ped and asked after the old banker. when
Tommy proudly informed him that he
had returned to England. leaving him in
charge Of the affairs Of the firm.
"Ah. indeedI Well, there's a little
matter l wanted to speak Of 10 him.
Il shall be happy to serve you,
Count" said Tommy in his very best
Italian.
well suppose you dine with us to-
night and we can talk it over after din
ner?'' returned the Count, who thought
be ought to show a little attention to
the lonely Englishman.
Of course, the invitation was accept
ed. and Tommy had no sooner entered
the drawingroom al the Villa Marsoni
than he lost bis heart at once. ~irrevoca-
bly, and forever. Maria Marsoni was,
indeed, beautiful and ~vivacious enough
to turn the head Of q wiser and colder
blooded ma than Tommy Mathers;
and 80 ready was he to ANUS her by
his efforts to speak q language that he
partially knew. that he won asore favor
in the maiden's eyes than many a more